Shloka 24
त्वमन्त: सर्वभूतानां गूढश्वरसि पावक । त्वामेकमाहु: कवयस्त्वामाहुस्त्रिविध पुन:
tvam antaḥ sarvabhūtānāṁ gūḍhaś carasi pāvaka | tvām ekam āhuḥ kavayas tvām āhus trividhaṁ punaḥ ||
Mandapāla berkata: “Wahai Pāvaka (Api), engkau bergerak tersembunyi di relung terdalam segala makhluk. Para resi menyatakan engkau itu satu—berhakikat tunggal dan tertinggi—namun mereka juga menghuraikan engkau sebagai tiga: api langit, api bumi, dan api pencernaan dalam tubuh makhluk hidup.”
मन्दपाल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Fire (Agni) is presented as a single underlying principle pervading all beings inwardly, while also manifesting in three functional forms—celestial fire, terrestrial fire, and the digestive fire—showing how one reality can appear as many without losing its essential unity.
Mandapāla addresses Agni with reverence, praising Agni’s subtle presence within all living beings and acknowledging the traditional teaching that Agni is both one in essence and threefold in manifestation.